"I've got full support from Mat Ishbia" - Frank Vogel squashes rumors of getting fired by Suns if playoff run falls short
Phoenix Suns coach Frank Vogel is not worried about his job despite being on the verge of getting swept in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. The Suns have been disappointing against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Vogel's position was recently questioned.
In his pregame press conference on Sunday, Vogel was asked by reporters about his confidence level for next year. There's an assumption that the Suns are losing the first round, as no team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit.
The one-time NBA champion coach has a good feeling for next season and is confident that Suns owner Mat Ishbia trusts him to be in charge of the team.
"I've got full support from Mat Ishbia," Vogel said.
The rumors about Frank Vogel's potential dismissal started after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Phoenix Suns could look to make some changes this offseason. One of those changes is to remove Vogel, who signed a five-year, $31 million contract last year.
"Increasing belief around the league that Frank Vogel's job is in peril if he loses, especially as abruptly as they might in a sweep, as dispirited as they looked in Game 3.
"When you have this kind of payroll, these kinds of expectations, you've got to not only show more in the first round, you've got to get out of the first round. Losing in six last year to Denver in the second round cost Monty Williams his job. You see Mat Ishbia, the owner, he's made rapid change in his short tenure as owner. Frank Vogel's job very much may be in jeopardy now," Wojnarowski said.
Some fans want Frank Vogel fired
A small section of the Footprint Center chanted "Fire Vogel" toward the end of the third quarter of Game 3. They were disappointed by the Phoenix Suns' lackluster performance as the Minnesota Timberwolves dominated the second half to take a 126-109 victory.
Suns fans are not used to losing in the first round in the past three seasons. The team went to the NBA Finals in 2021 and reached the Western Conference semifinals in 2022 and 2023. There were also a lot of changes since then, with Mat Ishbia becoming the team's majority owner.
The Suns went all in by trading for Kevin Durant last season, acquiring Bradley Beal in the summer, firing Monty Williams and replacing him with Frank Vogel. However, it has not worked out in Phoenix due to a variety of factors.
The trades meant that the Suns didn't have the depth needed to remain in the top half of the Western Conference. Injuries to Beal in the first half of the season halted any chances of forming great chemistry. More importantly, the Suns have no real point guard on their roster.